Greek life recruitment formally finished at the end of January, and over the next few weeks, new members will be initiated into organizations across Grounds. If we students are honest, we know that this exciting time also comes with an increase in parties, drinking and risks of substance abuse. As such, this is the perfect time to reaffirm the vitality of medical amnesty as a life-saving legal guarantee for students who find themselves in an emergency. Since 2015, intoxicated, individual students can seek medical help without facing legal consequences for underage drinking or otherwise illegal behavior. Despite the intentional proactiveness on behalf of the state in protecting medical amnesty, a University-wide effort to publicize medical amnesty is needed. Specifically, University leadership, Greek life organizations and students themselves must recommit to the safety provided by an effective and knowledgeable use of medical amnesty.
Medical amnesty policies work best when articulated, promoted and followed. Indeed, schools in Virginia that took these steps — such as James Madison University — were recognized in 2023 for their preventative measures. In contrast, the University has failed to be sufficiently transparent about this policy, especially when compared to other schools. While many other universities include medical amnesty explicitly in their student handbooks, it is noticeably missing from our own manual of student rights. The University, of course, undertakes other initiatives to publicize medical amnesty, including partnering with the Gordie Center. However, a failure to codify this commitment in the Code of Conduct foreshadows what has recently been a tenuous relationship between the University and medical amnesty.
Last semester, actions by the Policy, Accountability and Critical Events unit of Student Affairs undermined the University’s commitment to medical amnesty, furthering a student culture that misunderstands and fails to use medical amnesty. These past actions under the direction of Donovan Golich have served to erode the exact amnesty that these policies are meant to protect, specifically for Greek organizations. Golich worked to implement a policy by which national organizations of Greek life chapters were contacted if a member at an event sought medical help for alcohol or drug usage. While Golich has since left the University, the legacy of this potential retaliation hangs over the actions of all Greek life organizations.
According to a few Greek life leaders, Golich’s policy led some to not call ambulances for fear of facing organizational recriminations. While this fear certainly misprioritized organizational sanctity over individual well-being, it is indisputable that this policy led to a less safe environment in these spaces. Taking last semester as a lesson, now is the time for the University to reflect on its role in developing harmful expectations around medical amnesty — and reverse them through education.
Despite the prominent role the University must play in upholding medical amnesty, the responsibility does not rest with them alone. Greek life chapters must also publicize and affirm the importance of using medical amnesty whenever needed. Undoubtedly, these chapters face numerous alcohol or drug-induced incidents weekly as a result of the way in which they have structured their spaces — often encouraging underage drinking and substance use. This is the reality of the University, but one which can be made safer by organizational commitments to medical amnesty.
In the past, Greek life leaders have utilized chapter meetings to train members on medical amnesty. However, their work is clearly incomplete if members fear calling an ambulance. As such, chapters must prioritize tangible and serious education on the matter to better ensure that there is no ambiguity of action in a crisis. More broadly, the national organizations of Greek chapters should recognize the importance of medical amnesty and consequently not punish their chapters should an individual in the chapter call an ambulance. It is only with the collective cooperation of local chapters and national organizations that these policies can be safely applied at Greek life events.
Though top-down education is a necessary prerequisite to ensuring transparent medical amnesty, students too must not shy away from their responsibility. While studies consistently show that clear medical amnesty policies increase the proportion of students who call emergency-related services, the responsibility ultimately lies with students to act appropriately if an emergency arises. However, the current student understanding of medical amnesty seems imbalanced, with at least 15 students having been arrested last semester for not understanding the parameters of the policy. Creating a shared culture where medical amnesty is understood and implemented requires the buy-in of all students at the University.
Almost all of us know someone — a friend, a hallmate, a Greek life member — who has required medical support and relied on the goodwill of bystanders to get them help. The medical amnesty laws are designed to protect these people, but they mean nothing if they are not clearly articulated, promoted and followed. The responsibility to do this rests with everyone at our University, from University leadership, to Greek organizations and individual students.
The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, the two Senior Associates and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.
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